MUMBAI: As the weekend is arriving, we bring you exciting updates from Bollywood to keep you amused.

Special effects reason to postpone 'Total Dhamaal': Javed Jaffrey

 Actor Javed Jaffrey, who is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming film Total Dhamaal, says that the makers postponed the release of the film from December to February next year because of special effects involved in the project.

Javed was interacting with the media when he visited handicraft design exhibition Inception along with his brother Naved Jaffrey on Thursday, here.

The film was earlier scheduled to release on 7 December but the makers of the film postponed the release date of the film to 22 February.

Asked about the reason, Javed said, "There are lots of special effects in it and it was consuming lot of time. Makers also felt that if they release film in December then it wouldn't be nice for the film as there are some big releases in that month and they didn't want to compromise on anything that is the reason why they shifted it to February next year."

Total Dhamaal is third installment of successful franchise Dhamaal which originally starred Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey and Riteish Deshmukh but in the third part, the makers have brought in new addition to its original cast.

Talking about it, Javed said, "It's a Total Dhamaal in its true sense. There is Ajay Devgn, Boman Irani, Johny Lever and Sanjay Mishra in the film and apart from them, there is Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and me in it, who have earlier worked together in two parts of Dhamaal franchise."

Javed and his brother Naved Jaffrey hosted a popular dance competition show on television called Boogie Woogie which started in 1996 and it went off air on March 2014.

Asked whether he has any plans to revive the show, Javed said, "We are working on something. It may not be Boogie Woogie but we are doing something in similar space. It will be a dance show with a hint of comedy."

Total Dhamaal is directed and co-produced by Indra Kumar. It is the sequel to 2011 film Double Dhamaal and the third instalment of theDhamaal film series.

Swara Bhasker excited about 'Flesh'

Actress Swara Bhasker says she is looking forward to tell a dark tale of the human trafficking industry with web series Flesh.

"To associate with brave, bold, relevant and impactful characters and projects is a dream for any passionate actor. I am delighted to become a part of Flesh and looking forward to working with this fantastic and talented crew," Swara said in a statement.

An Eros Now's show, Flesh revolves around the global human trafficking industry and how a police officer takes matters onto herself.

"For the first time in my career, I am playing a cop and my fans will be witnessing a new version of myself in this series," she added.

Being co-produced by Siddharth Anand and directed by Danish Aslam, the series also stars Akshay Oberoi, Vidya Malvade, Kavin Dave and Yudhishtir Urs.

Talking about the series, Anand said, "It's a definite high point to produce such an incredible series with Eros Now and we want to present a perfect blend of dark reality and entertainment through Flesh. The superb script, cast, genre and drama are the key ingredients that will keep the viewers captured till the end."

To this, Ridhima Lulla, Chief Content Officer at Eros Group, added, "We continue to build our focus on providing a unique experience in the digital world with captivating stories backed by skilled talent. We want the consumers' digital experience to be defined by creating strong, extraordinary and unforgettable content."

Singer Kavita Seth collaborates with son for Pakistani film

Iktara fame singer Kavita Seth has collaborated with her singer-composer son Kanishk Seth for a Pakistani film's song Dil Jogia.

Talking about the song and her relationship with her son, Kavita said in a statement, "Kanishk and I share a very special relationship. Though he's my son, we've always treated each other like friends as we share everything with each other.

"As this is the first time we've collaborated for a film project where he's been the composer and I have sung the song, it was a very special sight for me to watch the whole process right from its idea to its development and the delivery process. We both have given our 100 per cent to the song..."

Dil Jogia is a soulful song from the movie Pinky Memsaab.

Not only this, Kavita has also curated a platform called Main Kavita Hoon to celebrate poets on a common platform, where poems will be sung, composed and rendered by the singer only.

The first edition of Main Kavita Hoon will take place on 16 December at Bhavans Auditorium here.

Sara Ali Khan is a professional, says Tarun Gahlot

After working with debutante actress Sara Ali khan in Kedarnath, actor Tarun Gahlot seems to be in awe of her.

"Sara is a humble person. Despite being a debutante, she is quite professional and a mature actor. Working with her has been a wonderful experience, though my scenes were very limited with her but I enjoyed shooting with her," said Tarun in a statement.

Tarun also feels that the actress is a well grounded person.

"Sara used to fold her hands and say namaste, stand in the queue for food along with the rest of the team. She is a respectful human being..."

In Kedarnath, Tarun plays a role of a pithu leader (people who carry pilgrims on their back), who fulfils the demands of pithus.

Talking more about the film, the actor said, "Working on this film has been very challenging because we have worked in extreme conditions, shot in freezing cold in Kedarnath and then shot in Bombay in extreme heat... but it was worth it."

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, Kedarnath which is set against the backdrop of the devastating 2013 Uttarakhand flood, has been released nationwide on Friday. The film also stars actor Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead role.

Shooting for 'Marjaavaan' begins

Actor Sidharth Malhotra has started shooting for his next film Marjaavan.

Sidharth on Friday tweeted a still from the upcoming film. He is seen sporting a rugged look and has tattoos of all religion -- Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity.

He captioned the image, "Ishq aur inteqaam ka koi mazhab nahi, koi ek Rab nahi! (Love and revenge have no religion, no one is god.Marjaavaan shoot begins today!)"

The film's director Milap Zaveri shared Sidharth's image and wrote, "Power, Passion, Pyar (love)! Marjaavaan first look."

Producer Bhushan Kumar described the journey as exciting and wished the entire cast luck for the film's shoot.

Marjaavan is slated to release on 2 October 2019.

The film will also star Riteish Deshmukh, Rakul Preet Singh and Tara Sutaria, who is making her Bollywood debut with Student Of The Year 2.

Marjaavan reunites Zaveri with Riteish and Sidharth after four years. They were seen together in Ek Villain, which was written by the filmmaker.

Other details of the film are still under wraps.

Made 'Uri' for Indian Army not for political parties, says director

Director Aditya Dhar, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming movie Uri, feels great that many political leaders have liked the trailer. However, he says that the film is made for the Indian Army and not for any political party.

"I never thought about it but it feels great to see such a good response. It is an amazing feeling. It is great that many political leaders have shared and liked the trailer on social media but I have made this film for Indian Army and not for any political party," Dhar said in a statement.

He added that this is the least "we could do as filmmakers for Indian Army."

On claims of a lot of Indian fans showing support, he added, "I am glad but I want people to come and watch the film and realise that how much our Indian Army sacrifice."

With much noise soon after the trailer was released, the tension between two rival nations (India and Pakistan) risen.

"People will come to know about the reality once our film will be out on 11 January 2019."

The film will see Vicky Kaushal playing the role of an Indian commando who is involved in the 2016 surgical strikes. It also stars Yami Gautam.

Based on the surgical strikes of 2016 carried out by the Indian Armed Forces, Uri traces the significant event.

It also features Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. Produced by RSVP movies, Uri will hit the theatres on 11 January 2019.

Dharmendra: The man who saw tomorrow

Had his dreams remained just dreams, Dharmendra could well have been driving a tractor in the verdant fields of Punjab all through the years during which he was, instead, one of the biggest stars of Hindi cinema.

Born Dharminder Singh Deol on 8 December 1935 in Nasrali, a peaceful village in Ludhiana district, Punjab, to schoolteacher Kewal Kishan Singh and Satwant Kaur, his family had its roots in the nearby less-than-a-dot-on-the-map village of Dangon, near Pakhowal, Ludhiana.

Dharminder Singh spent his early life in the village of Sahnewal and studied at Government Senior Secondary School at Lalton Kalan in Ludhiana district, where his father was the headmaster. He later did his Intermediate from Ramgarhia College, Phagwara, in 1952.

This multitude of places associated with him, as he grew into his teenage years, became the raison d'etre for the many differences of views about his roots. Never mind if, today, Dharminder Singh, known to the world as Dharmendra (meaning the God of religion), belongs to not just the entire country, but perhaps, to the globe. Wherever Indian cinema is watched and cherished, he is, simply, one of the biggest and longest-lasting stellar entities, belonging to what is now the biggest film industry in the world...

Since he was a simple boy from Punjab who wanted to set out to enter the big, bad world of films, how had his family reacted? The actor told a publication in an earlier interview, 'My father wasn't happy because he was not too sure of the outcome, and of what would happen if I met with failure. My mother, however, was always supportive.' So the obvious question that comes to mind is: Why did the young Dharam have stardust in his eyes? Candidly, he said, 'I was in awe of the stars like Dilip (Kumar) saab, Raj (Kapoor) saab and even heroines like Nargis, Madhubala and Vyjayanthimala. But my ambitions were quite restricted! My big dream and my simple prayer to God was my pictures being present everywhere, just like those of my idols.'

A naive and simple Dharmendra was not at all bothered whether he earned no money, a little money, or a lot! He said, 'My goal was very simple -- one flat and one Fiat (car)! When I came to Bombay -- that's what Mumbai was known as then -- I only had my dreams. I was an untutored villager, with no idea of acting. I wasn't even aware [that] I was good-looking until I began getting movie offers because of my good looks. When I arrived here, I was in fact shocked by the lifestyles of the stars -- it was far different from what I had imagined back in Punjab!'

So, what had actually stirred the pot and made the lad wish to get into films? What was, so to speak, the churning point? The answer to this was as simple as the man himself: Years ago, he had gone with his uncle for a relative's wedding to a nearby town. He was about twelve or thirteen years old at the time, studying in Class Eight, when he got to watch (the result of a promise made by the uncle as an incentive to attend the wedding) a film called Shaheed at the Minerva cinema in Ludhiana. And that did it!

Suddenly, life changed for the young boy. The images from the film began to haunt him. Nothing else was of any interest. His mother continued to tell the boy fairy tales and inspirational stories; the grocer in the village continued his spell of ghost stories, but young Dharam was no longer the avid listener. He believed in the boy Ram from the film, who grew up to be a freedom fighter enacted by the famous Dilip Kumar. He felt Ram and he were brothers.

He began to spend a lot of time on his own, with thoughts of the little boy (interestingly played by one Sashi Kapur, who had nothing to do with Shashi Kapoor!) from Shaheed for 'company'. He felt that he knew and understood him, and he certainly wanted to be like him and grow up to be -- in an interesting interplay of reel and real -- Dilip Kumar!

Years passed and Dharam grew into a strapping young man. He even joined an American drilling company as what he now calls 'a mechanic'. Around this time, it is said Dharam Singh lost his virginity to an older woman, and also had his first drink in the company of his American colleagues from the drilling company. In 1954, he married Prakash Kaur.

But the ambitions of becoming an actor continued to seethe within him like lava waiting to erupt from a dormant volcano. His visits to Ludhiana city to watch films became more and more frequent. Dharam found these to-and-fro journeys tedious, but everything was worth it just to watch the great actors he had come to adore and wanted to emulate...

Oscar nominated cinematographer saw Old Delhi with different eye for 'Rajma Chawal'

Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Donald McAlpine of Moulin Rouge! fame presented Delhi with a different visual perspective inRajma Chawal, the film's director Leena Yadav and producers Aseem Bajaj and Gulab Singh Tanwar said.

Bajaj, a celebrated cinematographer himself, was asked about the difference McAlpine brought to the table.

He told a publication, "Sixty years of experience as a cinematographer in every frame of our story! You see, in Rajma Chawal, there are characters -- the city, a different culture and several elements have been amalgamated in the story.

"It is easy for any celebrated cinematographer to feel tempted and flaunt his craft that could overpower the subject matter. Maintaining the simplicity is actually a challenge and he did that so beautifully."

Remembering the first day of their recce at Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk with McAlpine, Leena said, "We were waking about the place and he looked above to those wires handing all over the places near the roof and walls in those narrow lanes and he told me, Look at them, it is so like the connection between people in any relationship... wrong connection creates problem, the right one, brings people closer.'

"I was so impressed with how he was looking at every corner of the place from the perspective of our story."

Adding to that, Tanwar said, "It was a conscious decision to bring someone on board from abroad because that always adds a new perspective; because as an Indian, when we look at our own places, we tend to capture the mundane part of it -- the noise, traffic, dirt and everything that bothers us in daily life.

"When the same place is viewed through a person from a different background, the perspective changes."

The film Rajma Chawal, released on Netflix, is set in Delhi. It also features Amyra Dastur, Nirmal Rishi, Aparshakti Khurana and Harish Khanna.

The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival this year and was screened at the 20th MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

Leena, known for her film Parched, said, "It was interesting when Donald sat down with me just before we started rolling and said that though he knows the story and script, he does not know Hindi.

"Since all the actors will speak in Hindi, he said if he can talk to me about it, when capturing an emotional moment, because without knowing the language, the possibility is to catch some false moment in the performance."

"The good thing is that after a few shots, he came to me and said how the portrayal of emotions were touching his heart, despite not knowing the language... I think that is the purpose of universal storytelling, that crosses the boundaries of language and culture and touch the right cords," she added with a smile.

First schedule of 'Panga' wrapped up

The first shooting schedule of filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Panga has wrapped up.

Tiwari on Thursday tweeted a photograph of the entire crew of the film and captioned it, "And this love will only continue to grow as we wrap our first schedule. Panga.

Featuring stars like Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi and Jassie Gill, Panga revolves around female kabaddi players and the trials they face.

The first schedule of the film was shot in Bhopal.

Tiwari, who announced the news of the project in August, has films like Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi to her credit.

Other details related to the film are still under wraps.

Neetu Chandra to star in Korean TV show

Actress Neetu Chandra, also a Kukkiwon ambassador of India, will star in a Korean Taekwondo drama titled Narae.

The actress was offered the role by grand master Lee Jeonghee.

"I'm extremely grateful and thank Grand master Lee Jeonghee. It is because of his sheer support that I have been able to bag this role in the Korean youth action drama.

"They were looking for an Indian actor as part of the drama who also had some kind of training in Taekwondo. Being a trained Taekwondo player, I fit the bill and landed a role in the drama," Neetu said in a statement.

It will be shot in Seoul, South Korea and will go on floors early next year.

(Source: IANS)

Kartik Aaryan’s cheesy reply on Sara Ali Khan's wish to date him!

Sara Ali Khan’s debut film Kedarnath has released today, and everyone is eager to watch the chemistry between Sushant Singh Rajput and her. And a moment ago in Koffee with Karan, we all came to know about her interest in dating Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety actor Kartik Aaryan. To this, Kartik replied, "I'm waiting for her address. She's lovely and I wish her the best for Kedarnath."

Ajay Devgn supports this famous crime show

Ajay Devgn has endorsed a book based on the long-running crime series Crime Patrol.

"Crime doesn't pay, but it makes for good reading. This book gives you a ringside view of some of the most dangerous crimes," Ajay said to media.

The book will cover crime stories in India's small towns than just focusing on big metros, and remind readers that signs may appear as most ordinary at times.

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan’s bromance

Shah Rukh Khan was recently spotted promoting Zero in Dubai and his bro-love for Salman Khan, which represents their bromance and bonding.

Take a look below:

Nick Jonas becomes Priyanka Chopra’s mom’s favourite

We can’t get over with Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ dreamy wedding album! And Dulhan ki maa, Madhu Chopra was the happiest woman the day her princess looked like a real one. She expressed her happiness in front of media saying, “My baby looked like a princess."

Not just that, she also opened up about her daamad Nick Jonas only to say that she has the best son-in-law, and is sure he will keep her daughter always happy.